GIANTS’ O’BRIEN SWOOP
EDDIE’S SEEKING JOY OF SIX
EDDIE JONES has shrugged off the injury blows that have rocked his England camp and claimed his side are still in perfect shape to bid for back-to-back Grand Slams.
The head coach was left reeling by a series of setbacks which left half his pack on the crocked list and centre Manu Tuilagi out long term.
Brothers Billy and Mako Vunipola may miss the whole Six Nations, while Chris Robshaw, George Kruis and Joe Launchbury are struggling to start the opening game with France at Twickenham on February 4.
Captain Dylan Hartley will also be short of match fitness when he GARY FITZGERALD returns from his long ban. It has been a worrying few weeks for Jones who has led the team to 14 straight wins and is desperate to guide England to more success in 2017. Hopes of beating New Zealand’s 18-game winning streak have been dented by losing so many key stars but Aussie Jones said: “Am I still confident we can win the Six Nations? Of course. “We’ve got a very good chance, just as we did last year when we won the Grand Slam. “But it’s going to be very tough again because all the other nations will be fighting very hard. “It’s going to be an exciting tournament with every game a big one. In an ideal world you would want all your players fit but rugby is not an ideal world and never will be, because guys pick up this knock or that knock all the time.
“It’s how you cope with it that counts. We just have to swallow it and get on with things. You have to be mentally strong enough to take the blows and setbacks and keep things in perspective.
“We’ve a lot of talented guys who have been waiting for their chance and others who have done very well when they have got on the field.
“We had injuries before and still managed to get by and keep winning.
“People say, ‘Relax and enjoy the job’. But you never relax. You wake up every day and hope someone else doesn’t get injured.
“The Six Nations is just around the corner and I can’t wait and I’m sure neither can the players.
“We’ve a very tough opener against France but it’s good to start a big tournament with a big challenge.” MARTIN HOPWOOD HOOKER Adam O’Brien will join four of his old Bradford team-mates at Huddersfield Giants as the break-up of the defunct Bulls continues.
O’Brien, 23, who came through the ranks at Bradford and last season made 31 appearances for the Championship outfit, has signed a three-year contract with their Super League neighbours.
“I’m really pleased to have signed for the club,” said O’Brien (below). “I wanted to get back in Super League, I wanted to try with Bradford Bulls but that hasn’t happened and with what’s gone on at the club in the last few months I just felt like I needed a change for me and my career.
“Personally and for my family, it is a good move and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
O’Brien will plug the gap at the John Smith’s Stadium created by the departure of Kyle Wood and enable captain Ryan Hinchcliffe to make the switch to loose-forward.
“We now have two young dynamic hookers in Adam and Kruise Leeming,” said Giants coach Rick Stone.